The demo doesn’t lean heavily into narrative during the early hours, focusing more on atmosphere and tension than deep storytelling. The setting hints at a harsh, anomaly-filled world clearly inspired by extraction-style survival shooters and STALKER series. Kinda reminded me Chernobylite as well. There’s potential here that I can't deny especially with the eerie environmental design and scattered world-building elements but in the demo, the story mostly takes a backseat to mechanics and progression.

It feels like a foundation rather than a fully realized narrative experience.


First things first: the game is not nearly as clunky as some other reviews make it sound. Movement feels decent, gunplay is serviceable(unless it's assault rifles), and moment-to-moment combat can be satisfying. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s functional and occasionally enjoyable.

However, the design decisions raise some concerns. I understand the intention behind putting bots in the first 4-5 raids. They probably thought players would want to feel strong, get attached, build confidence. But forcing that experience without clearly telling the player or giving them a choice is not acceptable. Transparency matters, especially in competitive extraction-style games.

Another major issue: I’ve already seen people claiming you can just play single raids or co-op raids freely. After checking properly, both modes are locked behind additional paywalls. Which, considering the involvement of Gaijin Entertainment, isn’t exactly surprising. That monetization structure will definitely raise eyebrows.

Cheaters are also something I'm already worried about. Whether perception or reality, extraction shooters live and die by trust in fairness. If anti-cheat isn’t solid from day one, the damage spreads fast.

Map design is another weak point. After about 10 minutes, it starts feeling repetitive. I found myself mostly wandering around encountering anomaly zones (very reminiscent of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl-style hazards) rather than meaningful PvP or PvE encounters. The atmosphere is there, but the engagement drops quickly. The maps need more dynamic activity, more life, more unpredictability. Kind of like EFT Player-Scavs, different spawn times like Arc Raiders or spawning enemies after some time like Arena Breakout does.

And finally, community interaction. From what I’ve observed, the developers seem to respond primarily to positive feedback while ignoring well-written, constructive criticism. That’s not a healthy approach. That's why Steam Next Fest has been made for. Not for you to provide something to your publisher or potential publishers to gain funds(I do know they need funds as well, but c'mon guys, It will be us playing the game once they finish it, not the backwater company) If you’re running a demo during Steam Next Fest, the whole point is feedback, both good and bad. Selective engagement only creates friction with your core audience.



+Nice graphics.
+Decent gunplay and functional movement.
+Strong atmospheric potential.
+Clear inspiration from anomaly-based survival shooters.


-Forced bots in early raids without player choice or transparency.
-Paywalled single and co-op modes.
-Concerns about cheaters.
-Repetitive map flow after short sessions.
-Weak developer communication with constructive critics.


Active Matter isn’t a disaster it’s also far from convincing. There’s a decent mechanical base here, and I won’t pretend the game is unplayable or broken. It isn’t.

But questionable monetization decisions, forced onboarding design, repetitive maps, and poor community communication drag the experience down significantly. A demo is meant to build trust and excitement, right now, it mostly builds skepticism.

5/10

Until next time.
Take care, everyone.